A joyous evening last night at Clwb Y Bont in Pontypridd - a mixture of poetry and music, and a few local ciders - including an impromptu collaboration between Ben on guitar, and Pete on his harmonica.
Voices on the Bridge, run by Rob Cullen will be hosting a poetry night at Clwb y Bont in Pontypridd, on Thursday 20th July starting at 8pm.
I'll be reading alongside Mike Jenkins, Pete Akinwunmi, Sion Tomos Owen, Nick McGaughey, Mary Kaye, Leigh Manley, Ben Wildsmith & Rob Cullen.
Hope to see you there.
A new poetry night has started in Cardiff Bay 'Tiger Bay Poetry' at the Casablanca Cafe in Mount Stuart Square, hosted by Natasha Gauthier. The inaugural night featured Taz Rahman, Wendy Allen and Gareth Writer-Davies. It was a wonderful evening and I read a couple of poems at the open mic - including a mother / kraken reflection.
The super poet Karen Pierce Gonzalez from Folk Heart Press has invited me to be the featured poet a North Bay Poetics online session, talking about prose poetry, process, and I'll be reading a few poems too. There is an open mic section and two fellow Welsh poets will be joining, Lesley James @feetpetite, and Kath Hill. Really looking forward to it.
A great day in Swansea for Matthew M. C. Smith's, editor at Black Bough Poetry, book launch in the local tap room.
In a couple of weeks time, on Wednesday 14 June, starting at 7.30pm I will be headlining at the regular Murenger Poetry Night, in Newport. Hosted in a 19th Century pub, my 2x 20 minute sets will be followed by Open Mic sessions - sign ups available on the night. Its always a relaxed, friendly, poetry filled night. Thanks to Alan Roderick for the invite.
I was delighted to be invited by Taz Rahman to be interviewed for the 'Just Another Poet' video interview series, supported by The Books Council of Wales.
Link to my interview here, via youtube.
Taz is a generous and thoughtful interviewer - would highly recommend.
A fantastic turn out at Chapter meant the anthology launch was held in the Seligman Theatre. Claire Syder introduced the collection and each of the nine authors read to the audience. It was a lovely event, with a great turn out.
As part of The Dipping Pool anthology launch, we have a reading event as part of the Made in Roath Arts Festival.
I read at the Open Mic night, at the Little Man Coffee Shop in Cardiff. About 60 people attended the event with a jazz group and Clare Potter as guest poet. She was mesmerising with her mix of New Orleans jazz singing, Welsh accent and musical poetry. I read three poems, in the open mic section, from late 2018: The mantlepiece; Care instructions; An unremarkable wish. Clare was kind enough to say how much she enjoyed them.